This week, instead of 3 readings, there’s just one. And the reason is, its a little long, at just over 2,000 words.
The article is about reading the Bible…or better yet, about letting the Bible read us. I think there is a lot in it that can help us broaden (and maybe even simplify) how we read the Bible. And if you read closely, you’ll find a lot that connects with the talk Esther gave this past Sunday on hearing from God.
Here’s a quote from the article:
Go back and read [the] passage again. But this time, be open to receive whatever God has for you. Don’t manipulate God; just receive. Communion with him isn’t something you institute. It’s like sleep. You can’t make yourself sleep, but you can create the conditions that allow sleep to happen. All I want you to do is create the conditions: Open your Bible, read it slowly, listen to it, and reflect on it.
If you didn’t know Lent starts this Wednesday, Mar. 1. Lent is a season where we subtract something so that we can add something new. One thing we could try is to get rid of something we know is a time-waster so we can carve out some space in our lives to create the conditions that will allow us to receive what God might be saying to us.
Happy Reading!
P.S. If you would like a passage to contemplate, try Matthew 25:14-30 or Matthew 25:31-46.
2 Comments for “Three to Read (Feb. 27, 2017)”
Anthony Ho
says:I think Smith’s comments on reading the Bible are really interesting! Mainly the idea of the agenda we bring into reading the Bible. I find that a lot of the time there’s a point of completion that I expect to arrive at. Whether it’s completing my daily quota of a-chapter-a-day or picking out truths and observations to impress others, I think neither of these objectives actually allows for scripture to “read us”, and I think the whole of scripture can be lost when we’re reading with such strict criteria.
Great find!
kenmhsu@gmail.com
says:I do that too, looking for what new and interesting thing I can say about the Bible, rather than listening for what it is saying about/to me.